Dozens of Jews, Including MKs, Visit Temple Mount

Dozens of Jews ascended to the Temple Mount in honor of Rosh Hashanah, including MKs Uri Ariel and Aryeh Eldad.

By Elad Benari, Canada

First Publish: 9/28/2011, 8:20 PM

Jews visit Temple Mount

Temple Mount Heritage Foundation

Dozens of Jews ascended to the Temple Mount for on Wednesday afternoon in honor of Rosh Hashanah.

Among those who ascended the Mount were also National Union MKs Uri Ariel and Aryeh Eldad, for whom it was the first visit to the Temple Mount with his grandson.

The visitors were given a tour of the site by the Temple Mount Heritage Foundation, which said in a statement that the participants “prayed that the government will remove the restrictions on Jewish visits to the Temple Mount, and that in the coming year we will see the Mount return to its days of glory and become the central national home of Israel, with the Holy Temple returning to its place.”

The visitors were led by Rabbi Yitzhak Levy from the yeshiva in Alon Shvut. Rabbi Levy read the names of many ill Jews who wanted to be mentioned at this sacred place so that they are blessed for full healing by G-d. The visitors also prayed in memory of Rabbi Yitzchak Imas and his wife Talya, who were among founders of the weekly Jewish ascension to the Temple Mount, and who were murdered by terrorists south of Hevron last year.

The Temple Mount Heritage Foundation also noted that “every year, during the period of Slichot and the Ten Days of Repentance many Jews visit the Temple Mount as well as yeshiva students led by their rabbis.”

The Foundation added that next week will see visits to the Temple Mount by students of Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in Maale Adumim, led by their rosh yeshiva Rabbi Nachum Rabinovich, as well as the Othniel yeshiva headed by Rabbi Re’em Hacohen.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Rosh Hashanah in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)